Conclusions and Recommendations

Abstract

This book provides lots of information on tobacco control in China. China made the progress on tobacco control in the last 10 years, but there are a large gap from requirement of WHO FCTC and China and fell behind among 181 Parties of WHO FCTC. There are four factors affecting tobacco control in China: (1) Tobacco industry grabbed the partial leading power on tobacco control in China. (2) The development ideology of GDP first restricted the Chinese governor’s understanding on the significant of tobacco control; (3) Evaluating the performance of Government officials based on GDP. (4) Political and financial resources have restricted the momentum of tobacco control campaign in China. In order to achieve the Healthy China 2030, China should focus on eight key issues: (1) To understand tobacco control from China’s long term target and Sustainable development goals: Targets 3.4 (Tobacco control reduces premature mortality from non-communicable diseases.) and 3A (“strengthen the implementation of the WHO FCTC into assessment of all level government performance; (2) To adjust the Steering Committee, removing the obstruction of tobacco control; (3) To adopt a strong, comprehensive national smoke-free law urgently to ensure 100% smoke-free in indoor public and working places; (4) To regularly issue the national plan of tobacco control, and regularly increase tax and price of tobacco product, as well as include helping quit program into the primary health care and medical insurance; (5) To strength public education and place the pictorial warning on the cigarette package; (6) To regularly monitor, evaluate and report progress of tobacco control policy implement, especially the comprehensively banning TAPS and increasing tax and price of tobacco product; (7) To strengthen capacity building and ensure financial support of tobacco control. (8) To expand the coalition of tobacco control and promote nationwide tobacco control. Fortunately, in 2018, National People’s Congress approved the State Council’s report on Institutional Reform, and the function of tobacco control has finally shifted from the Ministry of Industry Information to the National Health Commission. The National Health Commission should take the golden opportunity to reset up an effective the Steering Committee and to remove the interference of tobacco industry.